Method of welding rail joints



May 2l, 1935.

F. EARLE METHOD OF WELDING RAIL JOINTS Filed Feb. 11, 1933 -INVEN-roR 'franczlsl'arle BY 5" ATTCRNEY Patented May. y21, 1935 UNITED 4STATE PATENT- OFFICE:

Ms'rnon or wELnmG mm. Jom'rs Application February n, 193s, soi-lai No'. 656,232 z claim. (ci. zz-zoei The invention relates to certain improvements in welding rails bysuperheated molten metal, such as produced by the alumino-thermic reaction, and has for its object to provide a novel method of constructing and applying the molds in which the welding operation is carried out, whereby to permit the various operations to be eiected without interrupting traiiic and to effect material economies in time and materials.

The invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectionall elevation thirlough a mold applied to the welding of girder ra s.

Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the invention as applied to T rails.A

Fig. 3 is an elevation of vent forming patterns. l

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a metal frame for use in applying and compactingthe supplemental section of the mold.

In the welding of the rail ends together by superheated molten metal, and particularly by the so-called alumino-thermic process, it has been customary to form the molds in two parts adapted to surround the rail ends and having interior cavities to define the mold space, in which the superheated molten metal is teemed through a. pouring gate. It has also been customary to form these mold parts separately on patterns provided for the purpose and then toapply theV mold sections to enclose the rail ends, 4so that the molding material is brought into iirm contact with the surfaces of the rail sections and the two half molds contact each other inv seal'- ing relation above and below the rail sections.

Molds of this character, obviously, cannot be employed without interrupting traffic during the entire period of the welding operation.

In the more recent practice of rail welding without interrupting trafic, two lower mold sections were formed to enclose the rail ends to substantially the level of the tread surface of 'the rails, Awhich were supplemented by a top or cope section that could be separately removed to permit the passage of traiic. In actual rail welding practice, this cope section is formed on a pattern having approximately the contouroihthe upper portions of the rails being welded and, when completed', Vis in the form of a four sided sheetmetal frame, the lower edges of which fit approximately the contour of the upper surface of the rails. This frame is filled with rammed molding material in which are formed two vent openings disposed over opposite sides oi.' the rail heads. After such a cope sectionhas been formed, it has usually been found necessary to bake it thoroughly to dry out the molding material, so that, when it is placed in position on top of thellower mold section. the superheated steel to form the weld will be confined to the mold 5 space and will not come in contact, particularlyl Where it rises through the vents, with any moist surfaces of the molding material.

The difliculties and objections inherent in this mode of procedure are that the baking and dry- 10 ing of the cope section is a cumbersome operation, requiring either the provision of a small portable baking oven or ofv apparatus for sup;- porting the formed cope section above the open top of the mold proper, where it is subjected to 15 the heat from the products of combustion evolved during the preparatorypreheating of the rail more, inasmuch as the cope is formed over standardpatterns, it is adapted to effect a neat nt with 2o the top surface of the rails which conform to the pattern, and, when the cope is applied to rails that have been worn or which for any otherl reason' do not conform strictly to the pattern, it is necessary to apply some sort of plastic luting 25 between the cope and the upper faces o! the rails in order to prevent theescape of the highly fluid molten metal from the mold and also to prevent marring of the upper -surface of the rails by contact with the molten metal. p n

It is the purpose of the present invention to obviate these difficulties and objections, by the novel method of forming the mold and effecting Athe weld, as hereinafter explained.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, l and 2 in- 35 dicate complementary moldsections, which are adaptedto surround the ends of the rails to be l welded and to extend a short distance above the tread surfaces of the rails, which latter, as indicated, are of the girder or groove type; the ad- 40 jacent ends of the rails being enclosed within the mold space 6 and the end faces being separated by a spacer I3, which may be either a separate shim-like,` element or an integral part of one rail end left by undercuting the end, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. It will be understood that each of the mold sections l and 2 is formed by ramming refractory molding material into an appropriately, formed flask section or"V mold box over a pattern defining a part of the mold cavity. As indicated in the drawing, the section l of Ythe mold is provided with alatera-lV offset 3, in which is formed a basin 20, into the bottom of which opens a pouring gate I which extends to the bottom of the mold cavity s and is connected to.`an intermediate portion of the latter by the horizontal channel 5. The other mold section 2 is provided with the usual preheating gate 1, which is closed, during the welding operation, by a'plug 8.

Each of the mold sections I and 2, as stated, extends only a short distance above the top or treadsurfaces of the rails and the entire top of the mold immediately above the rails is open from end to end in a direction longitudinal of the rails, the top opening being of a width to provide clearance for the wheels of traine when the m'old sections are applied to the rail ends, theI side Walls of the mold sections immediately adas indicated in Fig. 1. Contrary to expectation, the green or moistcharacter of the section I2 of the mold produces no adverse effects when the superheated metal comes/in contact therewith, but, on the contrary, the refractory material of the section I2, which is in contact with the molten metal, sets up into a self-sustaining mass, so that practically all of the supplemental section I2, except that immediately in contact lwith the molten metal, may be removed from the rail tops by means of a bar or scraper, shortly after the pouring operation has been completed and before either the molten metal or slag solidifes, so that traffic may pass over the site of the joint withjacent the upper portion of the rails being fashout undue delay. In other words, the portions ioned to form part of the walls o'f vent openings I and II, one on each side of the rail heads. as is usual, to permit the superheated molten metal to rise therein to insure a uniform heating and Welding of the head portions of the rails.

After the two half mold sections I and 2 have been applied to position; asindicated in Fig. l,

- the preheating of the. rail ends and the interior of the mold by means of a blow torch or the like, through the preheatin'g gate 1, is carried out. When the preheating has been effected, a thin strip of sheet metal I4 is disposed in the grooves of the rail ends so as to span the gap between said ends, and two vent plugs or patterns' I5 and I6 are disposed in the open top of the mold in the partially dened vents I 0 and I I, which were preformed in the mold sections I and 2, respectively. In order to simplify the application of these vent patterns, they are preferably connected together by a cross rod and, in order to adapt the same patterns to molds of different sizes, the cross rod is made with a slip joint, so that the patterns I5 and I6 may be adjusted toward and from eachA e other. In its simplest form, the slip joint comprises a batten I1 having a bolt opening therein and a cooperating batten I8 having 'a slot therein, the bolt opening and the slot beingI engaged by a bolt and nut lock I9. 9

After the' vent plugs have been placed in position the open top of the mold is filled with the molding material, which is rammed in place and y is caused to assume the form indicated at I2 in Fig. 1, filling the open top of the mold between the vent patterns I5 and I 6 and also between the ends of the mold along the tops of the rails.

In order to facilitate the application and the compacting of the molding material forming the supplemental section I2,. a light generally rectangular metal frame, such as illustrated in Fig.

- 4, having its lower edges 22 fashionedto conformto the tops of the rails may be provided-and placed in positionin the open top of the mold, resting on the tops of the rails rand extending from end to end of the mold. This form of frame, in the event of its use, may be removedeither beforeor after the pouring operation has been effected. As soon -as the supplemental section I2 has been formed in situ to close the open top of the mold, except for the vent openings III and II, the vent patterns I5 and I6 are removed, a pipe section 2i applied to the mold sectionv I above the pouring gate and the products of the alumino.thermic reaction teemed into the pipe section 2|, resulting in the filling of the mold about the frail ends with the molten metal to the complete exclusion of the slag, the static head of the slag in the pipe 2I -being limited to that suiiicient to forcethe heated metal in ethe mold cavity at least to the level of the tops of the rails and preferably into the vent openings I0 and Il,

of the section I2 immediately in contact with the molten metal in the vent openings I0 and II becomes caked or baked to an extent sufficient to form the same into a dam or barrier, which will prevent the molten metal overrunning the tops of the rails, when the intermediate portion of the section I2 has been removed to permit the passage of traino. I

The practice of the invention" admits of the passage of cars over the site of the joint in much less time after the pouring has been effected than is possible where regular cope mold sections have been employed, so that little or no interruption to tralc ensues. Furthermore, the application of the supplemental section I2 in the manner and form stated results in a greater saving in time than would be required in the construction and preparation of the cope section and also in a considerable saving in the amount of metal required to form a homogeneous joint, because of the smaller quantity of metal required to fill the lower portion of the pouring gate and the portions ofthe vents immediately above the tops of the rails.

Fig. 2 exemplifies they application of the invention to T-rails and diiers'from the preceding illustration only in the particular form of the mold cavity and the form and location of one of the vents or risers. In this case, the mold proper comprises the mating sections I and 2 with the offset section 3' containing the basin 20 and the entrance to the pouring gate 4', .which connects ywith lthe collar forming mold cavity 6 in the same manner as described in connection with the rst modiflcatiom One vent opening I 0' is formed'in part in the mold section 2', and the other vent opening II is preferably formed in .the supplemental section I2', which is rammed gauge facey of the rail and is supported by a thin strip of materiall placed in the bottom of a recess in the top of the mold section I'. In order to permit the molten metal to enter the vent opening II the strip I4 is provided with a perforation, as shown, in alignment with the vent opening II'.

In this case, as in the preceding mode of application of the invention, the larger part of the supplemental section I2' may be removed by means of a bar or scraper moved along the top of the rails, shortly after the pour has been completed, the molten .metal in the vent openings being retained therein by the caked or baked 'I5 vlatter required the location of the vent openings in the cope section, which would necessitate leaving the cope section in place, after the pouring operation, for a sumcient time to permit the ,metal in the vents to almost completely solidify,

as otherwise the removal of the cope 'wouldv a1- llow the molten metal in the vents to ilow-.over the upper surfaces of the rails and damage the latter. l

What I claim is:

1. The method'of making molds for welding' rails by superheated molten metal and with minimum interruption to rail traic, which comprises separately forming complementary lower mold sections to a shape designed to enclose the rail ends and having an "open top and cut-out end walls providing an open-ended passage above and lengthwise of the rails to provide clearance for the wheels of trailic thereover, assembling the sections about the ends of the rails, Aplacing Y vent defining patterns in said open top adjacent the rail heads, compacting readily. removable molding material into the open top and in contact'with the tops of thel rails, and removing said patterns thus completing the mold.

2. The method of welding rails by super-heated molten metal and with vminimum interruption to rail traillc, which comprises enclosing the rail ,'end's-in mold sections extending a short distance above the tread surfaces of the rails and having and open top with cut-out end walls to form an open-ended passage through the mold immediate-1 ly above and lengthwise of the rails to provide clearance for the wheels, of trame there'over, placing vent deilning patterns in said open top adjacent the rail heads, compacting readily removable molding material into the open top and in contact with the tops of thev rails and said patterns, removingthe patterns thus completing thel mold, teeming molten metal into the mold cavity, and thereafter removing `so much of. the compacted molding material as constituteaan obstruction to rail trame. v

FRANCIS'ARLE. 

